Eradicating polio is humanity's next historic public health achievement. The United States and Indonesia are committed to implementing the Global Polio Eradication Initiative Strategy to ensure the safety of every Indonesian child from paralysis caused by the poliovirus and to protect Indonesian families against the emotional and financial costs of polio.

The poliovirus is highly contagious. A single case constitutes an outbreak of international concern. Indonesia was classified by the International Health Regulations as polio-free in 2014, but is vulnerable to re-introduction. The country faces challenges to fully eradicating polio, from expanding vaccination access to improving disease surveillance with responsive and innovative solutions tailored to the needs of a diverse and vast archipelago.

POLIO ERADICATION INITIATIVE GRANT

USAID, through the Polio Eradication Initiative Grant, partners with the World Health Organization and other stakeholders to support the Government of Indonesia in implementing the 2022-2026 Global Polio Eradication Initiative Strategy and responding to polio outbreaks. USAID's support focuses on improving polio surveillance and implementing a phased switch from oral polio vaccines to inactivated polio vaccines. A phased transition helps maintain high immunity levels while reducing the risk of vaccine-derived polio. USAID is also helping improve vaccination coverage, which dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pockets of low coverage remain in remote areas and some urban neighborhoods across the country.

KEY RESULTS

USAID's Polio Eradication Initiative Grant aims to help Indonesia fully eradicate polio by improving the coverage and effectiveness of vaccines. To date, USAID has: